1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a carrier provided with an electronic transponder consisting of at least one electronic component and one antenna winding for identifying animals, wherein the carrier is designed as an electronic ear tag and, in use, can be connected to another element, such as a fastening pin of an ID label.
The invention also relates to a method for producing a carrier provided with an electronic transponder having at least one antenna winding and at least one electronic component for identifying animals, wherein the prepared carrier is designed as an electronic ear tag and, in use, can be connected to another element, such as a fastening pin of an ID label.
2. The Prior Art
Such carriers and methods are generally known. A drawback of the known carrier and method is that the carrier is manufactured by means of a relatively expensive injection-molding process. In this known process, a disk-shaped part comprising the transponder is covered on all sides by means of an injection-molding process. Such injection-molding process is complicated and hence expensive.
The object of the invention is to provide a solution to this problem. Accordingly, the carrier according to the invention is characterized in that the carrier is composed of a disk-shaped first part having a circular lateral edge which is raised relative to a first side of the first part and which is provided with a circular slot accommodating the antenna winding of the transponder, and a tubular second part, wherein the electronic component of the transponder is arranged on the first side of the first part, the second part extends from the first side of the first part in a direction away from the first side, the second part is provided with a receiving space which is at least accessible via an access opening in a second side of the first part located opposite the first side, for receiving the fastening pin of the ID label, and wherein the first part has its first side and its lateral edge provided with a covering material applied by means of an injection-molding process and covering the antenna winding and the electronic component.
Since, according to the invention, the disk-shaped first part is covered with the covering material only on the first side and on its circular lateral side, the injection-molding process for applying this material can be carried out in a relatively simple and hence inexpensive manner.
Accordingly, the method according to the invention is characterized in that the method comprises at least the following steps:
1. in a disk-shaped first part having a circular lateral edge which is raised relative to a first side of the first part and provided with a circular slot, the antenna winding is fitted in the slot and the electronic component is fitted on the first side of the first element; and
2. by means of an injection-molding process, the first part has its first side and its lateral edge provided with a covering material covering the electronic component and the winding.
A further cost-increasing aspect of the known carrier and method is that for adjusting the carrier to, for instance, the dimensions of the fastening pin of the ID label to which it is to be attached, the dimensions of the entire carrier, i.e. the dimensions of the disk-shaped part, have to be adjusted. Typically, the disk-shaped part is likewise produced by means of injection-molding process. This means that for different dimensions of the disk-shaped part, different molds are required. Because the disk-shaped part with the circular slot has a fairly complicated shape, the manufacture of a mold is a costly affair. Hence, if different molds for different dimensions of the carrier have to be manufactured, this is a relatively costly affair. In accordance with a particular variant of the invention, this problem is met. Accordingly, the particular embodiment of the carrier is characterized in that the first and the second part are not directly fixedly interconnected. Because only the relatively simple second part should be adapted to the specific use of the label, this implies that only simple, different molds for the different second parts should be manufactured. The mold for the first part, which is technically more complicated, can be maintained unchanged, i.e., can be employed for any desired use.
The method according to this particular variant of the invention is characterized in that the carrier is further provided with a tubular second part, wherein, before the injection-molding process is carried out, the loose first and second parts are assembled to form one whole, wherein the second part extends from the first side of the first part in a direction away from the first side, the second part is provided with an receiving space which is at least accessible via an access opening in a second side of the first part located opposite the first side, for receiving the fastening pin of the ID label, and wherein the first part has its first side and its lateral edge provided with a covering material applied by means of an injection-molding process and covering the antenna winding and the electronic component.